Ambassador
and Mrs. Simonyi gave a national day reception at the Embassy of
Hungary on March 15 honoring the 156th anniversary of the 1848-49
Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence. In his speech, Ambassador
Simonyi said that the Hungarian cause in 1848 was destined to fail at that
time because Hungary stood alone among the nations without allies. On the
contrary, present-day Hungary, a reliable and steady NATO ally, and from
May 1, 2004, a full-fledged member of the European Union, can rely on the
strong support of the United States and the nations of a unified Europe.
The
guest speaker of the commemoration was Ambassador Günter Burghardt, head
of the Delegation of the European Commission in Washington, D.C. Amb.
Burghardt looked back at more than a thousand years of Hungarian history,
highlighting relations with the West and the United States, and evoked the
memorable moments of the bilateral ties and partnership between the
Hungarian Embassy and the Washington Delegation of the European Union. As
a token of friendship, Dr. Burghardt presented a flag
of the European Union to Ambassador Simonyi.
Following
the national day reception, Ambassador Simonyi, together with the leaders
and prominent representatives of the most important Hungarian American
organizations of greater Washington, D.C., and the representatives of the
Embassy of Hungary, participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at the U.S.
Capitol as well as the Kossuth House, home to one of the oldest Hungarian
organizations in the United States, the Hungarian American Reformed
Federation. He paid tribute to the leader of the Hungarian Revolution,
Governor-President Lajos (Louis) Kossuth at the bronze bust of Kossuth in
the Rotunda of the Capitol and the bronze plaque on the wall of the
Kossuth House.
On
March 14, Ambassador Simonyi, his colleagues, and Hungarian Americans of
the greater capital area marked the national day with a celebration at the
Kay Spiritual center of American University. The commemoration was
organized by the American Hungarian Federation of Metropolitan Washington,
DC. As a tradition, the young members of the 4th József Bátori Scout
Troop contributed to the commemoration with a literary and musical
program. Ambassador Simonyi in his welcoming speech emphasized that in
order to serve effectively our national interests and gain positive
results in our most important causes, we have to maintain a strong
national unity, understanding and cooperation. Commemorative speeches were
delivered by the Reverend Imre Bertalan, Minister of the Hungarian
Reformed Church in Washington, D.C., Frank
Koszorus, Jr., President of the American Hungarian Federation of
Metropolitan Washington, DC, and Louis Segesvary, former US diplomat and a
senior member of the Department of State.
